Matt Layman

A software creator / Django consultant

#python
#Django
#Python Frederick

Django Tutorial Adventure Part 2

What happens when you take a novice web developer and put him in front of an audience equipped with the Django tutorial only? That’s what we did at Python Frederick. The conversation and learning that resulted was awesome. Check out the video on YouTube to see what you can learn too!

#AST
#analysis
#Python

Deciphering Python: How to use Abstract Syntax Trees (AST) to understand code

How does the Python program run your code? How can you understand how your code runs? This post explores Abstract Syntax Trees (AST), a vital part of how Python evaluates code before running it. We’ll use an AST in a practical example to show you how to learn more about your code for your benefit.

#Twitch
#SaaS
#Django

Building SaaS with Python on Twitch

I am now streaming on Twitch. The stream shows how I build a Software as a Service (SaaS) called College Conductor. I explain how to use Python and Django when working on a larger application.

#python
#mobile
#BeeWare
#Python Frederick

Build Native Mobile Apps with Python (BeeWare)

You can build mobile applications with Python? Absolutely. At Python Frederick’s October 2018 presentation, Bob Marchese showed us how to use BeeWare, a suite of tools for building mobile apps (among other things). This post includes links to the YouTube presentation and his material.

#Black
#Code formatter
#lint
#Python

Consistent Python code with Black

Code is read far more than it is written. By using a consistent style, the readability of a project can improve dramatically. This post focuses on Black, a code formatter, how it can improve your project’s code style, and how you or your team can use it.

#Hugo
#static site generators
#handroll

A tale of two site generators

I switched my website from a custom made tool, handroll, to a very popular static site generator, Hugo. Why would someone switch from something tailor-made to a different tool? I explore what I’ve learned from going my own way for many years.

#job
#Doctor on Demand

New Job: Doctor on Demand

I’m now working for Doctor on Demand. After four years of working with a great team at Storybird, I’ve joined a new team at Doctor on Demand.

#Full Health Developer

Full Health Developer Launch

Full Health Developer, a website devoted to helping developers with their physical and mental health, is now live. I explain why this new site exists.

#Django
#maintainers

RFNM - Request For New Maintainer

What do you do when you know that you are no longer a good maintainer for a open source software project? You can step away gracefully by requesting help from the community. This post will discuss one way to request that help.

#survey

Developer Health Survey

Software developers face physical and mental health issues that arise from creative yet sedentary work. If you are a developer, can you help me identify our community’s biggest issues by answering a few questions?

#code reviews

Doing code review

How can you start code reviews on your team? Your team might have questions similar to ones I recently received. I shared my thoughts as someone who has done regular code reviews for years.

#Python Frederick
#Data science

Data science in Python

How do you get into the rich field of data science and the array of tools that are available in Python? Christine Lee provided an excellent overview of the data science ecosystem. The talk, from the December 2017 Python Frederick monthly event, is full of goodies to check out.

#Vim
#testing

Supercharging Vim: Instant testing

Automated tests are extremely valuable when writing code. The faster you can get feedback that your code is correct, the quicker you’ll finish a task. In this post, learn how to run automated tests directly in your Vim editor and finish the job in record time.

#Vim
#plugins

Supercharging Vim: Using plugins

Vim is an extremely powerful text editor. With no setup, you can do amazing work, however, you can supercharge Vim by extending it with plugins. This blog series will show how to get the most out of Vim.

#Python Frederick
#Scrapy

Scraping the web with Scrapy

Scrapy is a great tool to get data from a website that does not offer any API. Micah Nordland showed Python Frederick how to use the tool and taught the group the core concepts of Scrapy. This presentation happened at the November 2017 Python Frederick monthly event.

#Python Frederick
#web apps

Web frameworks shootout

The Python world is full of web frameworks. This post includes the Python Frederick video presentation comparing 5 popular Python web frameworks that I presented in October 2017.

#NES
#inspiration

A NES for Christmas

When I received a Nintendo for Christmas as a kid, it altered the direction of my life. My NES console transformed me into a person who is passionate about computers and technology, and I’m forever grateful to the woman who gave it to me.

#Python Frederick
#Pipenv
#Pipfile

Pipfile and pipenv

Python has many methods to manage software package dependencies. The Python Packaging Authority proposed a new standard format called a Pipfile. This post includes the Python Frederick video presentation about Pipfiles that I presented in August 2017.